Not applicable.
Not applicable.
The present invention relates in general to antifriction bearings and, more particularly, to such a bearing that is unitized for handling.
Some automotive vehicles of current design, particularly light trucks, sport utility vehicles, and even some large sedans, have solid rear axles on which the road wheels which actually drive such vehicles rotate. The typical solid axle actually has tube-like axle housings which are clamped to the suspension system of the vehicle and axle shafts which rotate in the housings. At their outboard ends the axle shafts have flanges to which the road wheels are attached. The two shafts rotate in antifriction bearings that are fitted to the ends of the axle housings.
One bearing that has performed quite well and has seen widespread use in axles of automotive vehicles has a single row of tapered rollers located between ribsxe2x80x94one on the outer race or cup and the other one on the inner race or cone. The bearing, while accommodating radial loads, also takes thrust loads in both axial directions. Thrust loads develop while a vehicle negotiates turns, and the bearings are configured so that the heaviest thrust loads are transferred through the raceways, while lighter thrust loads are transferred through the ribs.
A single row tapered roller bearing suitable for use on a solid automotive axle contains a variety of components, and some of these components have been unitized to facilitate assembly of the axle. For example, on one type of single row bearings the cone, the cup and the rollers are all held together by a rib ring that is fitted to the cup and secured temporarily with an adhesive. But other components remain, and they require separate attention and handling during the assembly of the axle. These other components often taken the form of a seal for keeping lubricant in the bearing and contaminants out of it, a speed sensor, a backing collar for holding the bearing on the axle shaft, and a clamping ring for keeping the bearing in the axle housing. However, automotive manufacturers prefer components arranged in assembled packages, and the greater the number of components that can be incorporated into a package, the easier the assembly of the automobile becomes.
An antifriction bearing has rolling elements arranged in a row between inner and outer races where they roll along raceways, and are confined within a cage which maintains the proper separation between them. The inner race is aligned with a backing collar which is interlocked with the cage for handling.